Choice Series 01: Interview With A Demon
by shadowglove
Summary: When Lucy trades Lois' soul for riches and fame, Chloe summons the demon, Amanojaku, in a desperate attempt to try and convince him to free Lois' soul. But his price...it might be too high for even her to pay. Just how much does she love her cousin?


**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville**

Written for Livejournal Paranormal25 150 Prompt Table's Prompt # 130: Amanojaku

Feeling kinda dark, so decided to finally write this.

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"That soul was given to me in a deal signed with blood." The demon announced, sitting on her bed and looking quite bored with her. "There's no reason for me to deny the deal just because it hurts your weak human sympathies."

Chloe had known that it wouldn't be easy, and yet although she'd had so many ways of trying to persuade Amanojaku to release Lois' soul from its bondage, her head was now blank. When she'd realized what Lucy had done, to gain riches beyond compare, she'd been unable to believe it, and yet here she was standing before the Japanese demon able to see into people's heart and instigate their wickedest desires.

"Lucy had no _right_ to barter Lois' soul! It wasn't hers to give!"

"She has a blood right." Amanojaku countered. "As do you." He leaned back on her bed, smiling. "Would you like to sell _her_ soul to me to free that of her elder sister's? It's crossed your mind."

"I can't---I couldn't do that." Chloe looked away, ashamed because _yes_, it _had_ crossed her mind the second he'd said that those with a blood connection could sell the souls of those of their family.

"She did it." Amanojaku pointed out quite slyly. "It's not like she wouldn't have deserved it. And that way, I wouldn't have to give her the wealth promised. It's a win/win situation for you and me."

"I'm not like _her_." Chloe spat out, glaring at his dark eyes. "I couldn't do that to someone else."

He sighed, standing. "Then you are of no interest to me. I have other things that I can do with my time---such as training the new soul under my command."

"No! _Wait_!" She was desperate and she knew it showed as she reached for him, grabbing a hold of his shirt to try and keep him there though they both knew that if he truly wanted to be free, she wouldn't be able to keep him. "_Please_." She whispered, broken. "There has to be _something_ I can do that will make you change your mind. Lois---Lois doesn't deserve this---she _doesn't_! Please don't go yet! Just _listen_ to me. _Please_!"

Eyeing her, partly annoyed and partly intrigued, the demon sighed, brushing away her hand as he sat down on her bed again. "Oh well, you _did_ go to the trouble of finding how to summon me properly and actually _did_ the ceremony and pronounced the words right." He folded his arms over his chest with a snort. "Go ahead. _Change_ my mind."

Taking in a deep breath, telling herself that it was now or never, Chloe squared her shoulders and shook her head as she looked him in the eyes. "Thank you for staying."

The demon nodded his head in acknowledgement, visibly pleased with her respectful words and tone.

"You don't want Lois." She told him straight and simple. "Lois is bullheaded and she can't get along with others and she has a problem with authority."

The demon raised an eyebrow.

"She'll question your every order, and make you furious just because she _can_." Chloe continued counting all the things that made Lois the worst servant _ever_. "She'll probably incite rebellion in your ranks because she has nothing else to lose, and not only will you have to end up destroying her soul, but those of the ones she'd dragged into rebellion with her. And that just means that you've lost yourself a _shitload_ of help."

Amanojaku eyes Chloe curiously.

"And even if things didn't go to that extreme, I _know_ that you wouldn't have accepted a soul without having first examined it." Chloe took in a deep breath. "So you've seen her first hand and _know_ that I'm telling the truth. Hell, you might find that attractive in a soul, thinking that it's another soul to _tame_ or _break_ or whatever floats your boat, but Lois has a will of iron and she'll break _you_ and call _you_ her bitch."

The demon was silent.

She took this for a good sign.

"You've seen how Lois has been in every single one of her jobs, she changes professions as quickly as she changes her underwear. You don't want someone as flighty and undependable as that doing your work." Chloe tried to speak softly, a small smile teasing her lips. "You don't want someone who's been _fired_ from most of her jobs and only got the one she has now because the _Editor_ wanted to get between her thighs."

She felt horribly guilty for saying such things about her beloved cousin, but she needed to do so to try and change the creature's mind.

There was an odd gleam in the demon's eyes that made her wary.

But still she pressed on, knowing that she had its full attention.

So she must be doing _something_ right.

"And _sure_, she has that allure that brings in men, but does she _keep_ them? No. Not _one_." Chloe pointed out. "All of those relationships have ended poorly, she can't even keep them as _friends_. You don't need someone who'll draw in your customers only to unknowingly push them away before any deals can be made just because of her _character_."

"And what…pray tell…do you believe I need?" For some reason he seemed amused.

She was wary, although she didn't know _why_ she felt more terrified now than she had when he'd first appeared at her summons.

"You need someone who isn't brash, doesn't _push_." Chloe responded, going to rest her back against the wall opposite the bed, gaze returning to his, knowing that people tended to react better to those who maintained eye contact. It created a false illusion of familiarity, and of trust. "You want someone who won't _bring_ the clients in, but lure them in with the idea that _they_ have been the ones making the choices all along."

He tilted his head, eyeing her.

"You want someone who isn't in your face seductive, like Lois, but has an overall aura of mystery and enchantment that will entrance them without one bit of magic. You need someone who can weave spells on her audience with only the sound of her voice and make them consider acting out on the deepest, darkest wishes in their hearts with just a glance through her eyelashes or a temptress' smile." Chloe responded, sliding slowly down the wall, too nervous to stand on her own, and yet trying to make the movement as fluid and normal as possible, as if she just wished to rest.

The demon's gaze lowered with her.

"You don't want Lois." Chloe told him, eyes meeting his purple gaze and holding it, voice soft and lulling.

"You are right." Amanojaku surprised her by announcing as he stood. "I do _not_ want her soul. I want _yours_."

Chloe's eyes widened, the momentary happiness that'd soared through her heart coming to a deafening halt. "_What_?"

The demon smirked as he came to stand before her, kneeling so that he could gaze into her face. "I want _your_ soul, Chloe Sullivan. I want the soul of the human who with just her _voice_ tempted me into nearly giving up what is rightfully _mine_."

Chloe knew the horror was plain to see in her eyes. "_My soul_?"

"If you could tempt _me_, the _master_ of the heart's darkest desires…imagine how one word from those deceiving lips would seduce the feebleminded human men." Amanojaku announced with an evil smile, already thinking of the many whom he could have in his power. "I was to make your cousin a Lamia…but _you_…you with the seductive talent of twisting truths to sound more appealing to the listener…_you_ will be my greatest creation yet, my _succubus_."

Chloe gave a little yelp as he grabbed her chin and forced her gaze up.

Terror filled her soul.

"Give me your soul." He stared down into her eyes. "And I will free your cousin's. I promise on my oath as Amanojaku."

"You'll free hers?" She whispered, eyes wide at this promise.

When a demon swore on their name, it was an unbreakable oath.

He was being _serious_.

"And let me sweeten the deal a little more." Amanojaku leaned closer. "Give me your soul, and I will make it so that she can _never_ lose hers again."

"You---you can do that?" Chloe trembled slightly in fear, and yet in hope.

"On my name I swear it." He nodded. "Your soul. Give it to _me_."

Her breathing was ragged. "I---I---."

"Do you not love your cousin enough?" He let her go and stood. "I thought you summoned me to convince me to let her go. Now that I'm convinced you are not _willing_ to pay the price for her eternal _freedom_? You would _prefer_ to have her forever a slave of my wishes?"

"_NO_!" Chloe stood up quickly. "_No_." She took in a deep breath. "Swear to me, on your name, that the moment my soul is yours, hers is free forever."

He smirked, his demon eyes pleased. "I, Amanojaku, lord of the evils of man's hearts, swear upon my name and title, to release the soul of Lois Lane from my possession, and grant her sole custody of said soul, that it may never be taken away from her again…yet _only_ if I received the soul of Chloe Sullivan in return."

The demon motioned for her to continue.

Chloe took in a deep breath, her mind screaming for her to run away, and yet her heart telling her that this way Lois was free.

And Chloe loved her cousin this much.

"I—I, Chloe Sullivan, swear on my name, that my soul will belong to Amanojaku, lord of the evils of men's hearts, in ex-exchange for the freedom of the soul of my cousin, Lois Lane."

Nodding, Amanojaku brought his fingernail to his throat and he sliced an X through the skin, blood beginning to pour.

Lips trembling, whole body shaking, Chloe walked up to him, biting back a whimper of terror and defeat, as she stood on her tiptoes and let him guide her face to the flow of demon blood.

As her lips descended on the area, and Chloe drank from the blood that would forever bind her to this demon and his will, she cried, letting her tears loose.

She loved her cousin, and she didn't regret sacrificing herself for her…

…but she was scared, and hopeless, and doomed.

_As long as Lois is fine…I can do this. I can become this_.

The laughter the demon let echo throughout her room only brought more tears to her eyes as she held onto him, body trembling with her sobs, as she said goodbye to all she'd ever known and loved.

But it was worth it.

It just _had_ to be…

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**Will be interesting to see what you all thought of this...**

**Was in the mood to write something dark…and thought this would be the perfect way to complete the prompt. So. Yeah.**


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